VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P109
THE KAWASAKI
BONES
The 1100 is built around an
aluminum twin-tube frame
and rides on a 56.7-inch
wheelbase, which is the short-
est in the class behind the
Yamaha MT-10 that comes in
1.4 inches shorter. It's also the
heaviest of all the 1000cc+
naked bikes (not including the
Z H2) at a claimed wet curb
weight of 487 pounds.
Despite that, the 1100 feels
well-proportioned when you're
riding. Compared to the Z900,
which feels overly cramped
and isn't much fun to ride if
you're north of 6-foot-1 like
me, the 1100 has a more re
-
laxed rider triangle with more
room from the 32.1-inch-tall
seat to the footpegs, allow-
ing more blood flow down
your legs and letting you ride
further for longer.
However, Kawasaki needs
to look at different seat pad
-
ding, as the seat gets pretty
hard over a 45-minute ride.
More than once, I was riding
by standing on the 'pegs to
get my ass to wake up dur
-
ing some of the longer test
runs, so this is something that
needs looking at by the Kawa
-
saki engineers.
The 1100's steering is
neutral and predictable but
isn't the fastest out there. It
can take a bit of effort to get it
settled into the type of cor
-
ner you'd encounter on tight
canyon roads, but conversely,
it has plenty of stability for
flowing high-speed riding.
Kawasaki has resisted the
temptation to chase extreme
geometry numbers but has
instead chosen a balanced
package that works well in
most environments, especially
the regular day-to-day scenari
-
os you'd likely find yourself in.
Yet, it is pleasing to see how
planted the 1100 is at speed.
High-speed sweepers reveal
a level of chassis composure
that inspires rider confidence,
while rough pavement doesn't
seem to upset the chassis as
much as you'd imagine.
Turn-in isn't as
fast as some of
the Japanese
competition,
but the 1100
is ultra-stable
when it's on the
side of the tire.
